For Titans’ Speltz, Numbers Are Finally Twisting in His Favor : Football: Last year, the statistics put the blame on Fullerton’s quarterback, but this season they have him ranking with the best.

Dan Speltz, a skeptic of statistics, says the only Cal State Fullerton numbers worth noting are three, four and one.

After eight games, that is the Titans’ record.

Speltz says statistics can twist the truth, giving credit where credit is not due and casting blame on the innocent.

He did not say this after he fumbled six snaps in the rain in his first game as the Titans’ quarterback last season. He did not say it after he threw nine interceptions in the first three games this season.

He may have thought it then, but what he said then was, “I made some mistakes.”

He says this now, now that the statistics are being kind to him. Now that he has 4,024 yards passing in less than two seasons and is 195 yards from becoming the most productive passer in Fullerton history. Now that he is about to break the record held by Damon Allen, probably the best known player in Titan history. Now that has broken into the top 10 in two National Collegiate Athletic Assn. categories, ranking sixth in passing efficiency and eighth in total offense.

A year ago, Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy stood in front of a gathering of Titan boosters and defended Speltz, neither for the first nor the last time.

“People say he’s lousy,” Murphy said. “Well, he’s not lousy.”

Now the numbers defend Speltz.

“The kid’s been kind of a rock,” Murphy said. “Mentally and emotionally, he’s very strong, very stable.”

Speltz is not one to shirk credit and steal the blame. If there is blame, he will sometimes say so. He is a diplomat, but not a liar.

Such as in the case of interceptions, which he has struggled with at times during both of his seasons at Fullerton. Some of the interceptions have been ugly mistakes. Murphy called one atrocious. But at times, others have been to blame.

“A lot of times I make a mistake throwing,” Speltz said. “Sometimes, and I’m not saying this is always the case, a lot of times you’re throwing as you’re being hit, or there’s a little miscommunication with the receiver on the route. Or maybe a bad play was called.”

His philosophy on statistics is that the game is far too complex for individual numbers to be very telling.

“It’s kind of silly to give one person, regardless of their position, credit for all that (happens on a play),” Speltz said. “For every statistic, you have a reason why that happened. A lot of times it’s not that person’s ability.”

And for every accomplishment, every record he has set, Speltz has a reason why you should not be impressed. He can argue against himself more persuasively than some of his critics.

Against Utah State, Speltz set school records for passing yardage (481), pass attempts (52), completions (42) and total offense (475 yards).

But Fullerton lost the game, 34-23.

“That happens sometimes,” Speltz said. “You end up throwing a lot when you’re behind or losing. That’s something you have to take half-hearted. . . . Obviously, I’d rather go destroy a team and not do very well statistically.”

Speltz seems certain to break Allen’s career passing record, and likely to break Allen’s single-season record of 2,469 yards. Speltz needs 370 yards with three games remaining.

Speltz defers credit to the Titan offense, a short passing game that results in a lot of yardage on runs after catches--particularly on runs by Mike Pringle off swing passes.

Perhaps the most remarkable record Speltz will set is completion percentage. The current Fullerton record, 55.5%, was set by Ronnie Barber in 1987. Speltz is at 69.6%, and has a chance to break the Big West Conference record of 71% set by Cal State Long Beach’s Doug Gaynor in 1985.

“Look at the completion percentage,” Speltz said. “That’s because we throw a lot of short passes.”

Partly so, Murphy says, but not entirely.

“That’s six out of 10. If you go out there and throw against air, who’s going to complete six out of 10?” Murphy said. “You can say he doesn’t throw the ball a long way. You can say this and that, but he’s still completing almost seven out of 10.”

Precisely which records Speltz will set remains to be seen. But ranking among the leaders in NCAA categories will be a nice end to a college career that began when Speltz walked on at UCLA.

Speltz left UCLA and started at El Camino College for two seasons before transferring to Fullerton, where assistant coaching turnover has forced him to learn three offensive systems in two years.

“If I was using the same system, it would have helped out a lot,” Speltz said. “I’d probably be doing better.”

But for Speltz’s purposes, this may be better. Even though his statistics have attracted some interest from professional scouts, Speltz says he is “realistic” about his chances to play pro football.

“I don’t think they’ve been overly impressed,” he said.

Instead of pursuing a playing career, Speltz will work toward a coaching career next season, probably working as a graduate assistant while earning a master’s in psychology.

“As it worked out, I think I’ll be better off as a coach having the experience of different systems,” he said.

But he’ll remain a player for three more games, time enough to add to his statistics.

Total offense, Speltz cares about that. Points scored, he says, has some value. Final score, now there is a statistic.

“If there’s anything, if I had to do it all over again, the thing I’d really like to improve on is our record,” Speltz said.

“I really believe what I’ve been saying. It’s a team game.”

SPELTZ’S SEASON

The game-by-game passing performances of Cal State Fullerton’s Dan Speltz:

Opponent Att Cp Int Yds TD Northern Illinois 50 37 3 304 2 Cal State Northridge 19 9 2 138 0 Colorado State 22 12 4 220 2 San Diego State 32 25 0 268 2 Nevada Las Vegas 28 19 0 129 4 Utah State 52 42 0 481 1 Pacific 22 17 1 228 1 Fresno State 22 11 0 164 0